This application claims the priority of German application No. 19959701.4, filed Dec. 10, 1999, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a device for the absorption of impact energy in motor vehicles having a box profile section of sheet metal construction fixed to a body frame component. Preferred embodiments provide for the box profile section with a tapered extension in a direction of a force to be absorbed.
As a measure for increasing passive safety and for reducing repair costs in the event of accidents at low vehicle speed, motor vehicles nowadays have bumpers and deformation elements, which are deformed in the event of an impact at low-speeds up to 10 km/h, for example, without this having consequences for the structure of the bodywork (body frame) or damaging other vehicle components, such as the lighting, for example. The amount of energy that can be absorbed is dependent here on the admissible deformation distance and the resistance force of the impact absorption device, it being necessary to select a level of force for the resistance elements that is low enough to prevent compression setting of the vehicle components supporting them in the event of deformation.
German Patent document DE-OS 2 151 827 (corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,342) discloses so-called crash boxes relevant thereto, which represent a sheet metal box profile section of a substantially cuboidal tapered shape which, when force is introduced in their longitudinal direction, is freely deformed and from a certain degree of deformation onwards forms a solid block. In order to keep repair costs low in the event of a minor accident at low vehicle speed, it is necessary, until the kinetic energy has been completely dissipated, to prevent the said block being displaced against the core structure of the bodywork and damaging the latter. This, however, calls for a sometimes considerable overall length of the crash element.
The overall length necessary moreover makes it difficult to use such crash boxes as side impact protection, with the result that they are mainly to be found in the front end of the vehicle.
In addition, deformation elements are known in the form of various extendable impact elements, which are activated by a system of sensors, which detects an obstacle in good time prior to the collision, so that the said elements extend immediately prior to a collision involving the motor vehicle.
German Patent document DE 196 54 559 discloses one such impact-absorbing device for a motor vehicle with an impact energy-absorbing component, which can be extended in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle from a starting position, in which it is accommodated substantially in a vehicle frame side member, into a crash position. In the event of an impending accident the impact energy-absorbing component is automatically driven into its crash position projecting from the vehicle, in which position the full impact energy-absorbing capacity is available. For this purpose the impact energy-absorbing component is designed with a cylinder arranged in the vehicle frame side member and a piston constituting a deformable reduction piece, which can be moved into the crash position by compressed gas. In the event of a collision the impact energy is transmitted from a bumper or impact-absorbing element to the reduction tube, the latter being forced through a reduction ring in the longitudinal direction of the frame side member.
This known solution with a reduction ring is unsatisfactory, however, with regard to its efficiency at higher impact speeds and the high manufacturing cost of the reduction ring. Furthermore this solution has the disadvantage that in the crash position the deformable reduction tube has a tendency to buckle under the action of an oblique force.
In addition to this known solution numerous folding tube energy absorption elements are known, which work on the principle of rolling deflection and permit high energy absorption with a constant force level. The solutions described in German Patent document DE 42 41 103, German Patent document DE 41 34 545 C2 and German Patent document DE 198 03 156 might be cited as examples of these.
Common to all these known solutions, however, is the fact that they are relatively expensive in their design construction and are not capable of satisfactorily withstanding an oblique impact.
Although German Patent document DE 21 37 517 B1, European Patent document EP 0 949 092 A1, German Patent document DE 24 27 764 A1 (corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,485), German Patent document DE 26 36 696 A1, German Patent document DE 198 14 842 A1 and German Patent document DE 80 10 342 U1 disclose devices for absorbing impact energy, which comprise a tapered sheet metal box profile section and have either folds or steps uniformly distributed over their periphery, which prevent buckling in the event of an oblique impact, it is not possible with the said devices to purposely regulate the buckling behaviour.
In this context, an object of the present invention is to create a device for the absorption of impact energy in motor vehicles having a box profile section, by means of which buckling under the action of an oblique force is largely prevented and in which the buckling behaviour can be purposely regulated.
According to the invention this object is achieved by a device for the absorption of impact energy in motor vehicles having a box profile section of sheet metal construction fixed to a body component, the box profile section being designed with a tapered extension in a direction of introduction of a force that is to be absorbed wherein the box profile section has creases, at least some of said creases being staggered in relation to one another in a peripheral direction of the box profile section.
The device for the absorption of impact energy according to the invention has the advantage that owing to the tapered extension of the box profile section in the direction of introduction of the force that is to be absorbed, the material of the section already deformed can be displaced in concertina fashion under the material of the remaining deformation length of the box profile section, viewed in a cross-sectional direction. In this way, in the event of a vehicle impact, a high energy absorption with a constant force level is obtained, while largely avoiding the formation of a block in the deformation process.
At the same time the tapered box profile section according to the invention represents a low-cost component of simple design, which in addition possesses a relatively high rigidity in response to deflection buckling as a result a force acting obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the box profile section.
With an embodiment of the device for the absorption of impact energy according to the invention, constant absorption of the force can be optimized by predefining the mode of folding by means of creases formed into the box profile section. In this case the arrangement and design of the creases is preferably matched to the free deformation length of the box profile section, the vehicle weight and the force to be absorbed, so that a uniform folding can be achieved without deflection buckling in the event of an oblique impact.
Further advantages and advantageous features or preferred embodiments of the invention are described below and in the claims.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.